Ben Caffrey: Booval shooter, dealer ‘relapses’ into drugs

An Ipswich man who shot dead a home invader to protect a stash of more than 1kg of cannabis and nearly $50,000 cash has “relapsed” into crime.

An Ipswich man who shot dead a home invader while in possession of more than 1kg of cannabis and nearly $50,000 cash has pleaded guilty to 18 counts of supplying a dangerous drug with his barrister telling a court his client “relapsed”.

Basin Pocket man Ben Carlton Caffrey, 32, was at his Stafford St, Booval home in the early hours of March 4, 2016, when four people entered the residence.

Caffrey, who Ipswich District Court heard in June 2018 was in possession of more than 1kg of cannabis, $47,000 cash, a self-loading M1 Carbine rifle, a quantity of methamphetamine, and a variety of other illicit items, shot dead one of the four intruders, 26-year-old David Nanai, who was also armed with a weapon.

Caffrey and Ms Ockhuysen were not charged with any offences related to Nanai’s death, although Caffrey was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with immediate court-ordered parole for possessing the cash, weapon, drugs, which it was accepted were for a commercial purpose, and other items.

In Ipswich District Court on Wednesday, Caffrey’s barrister Stephen Kissick said his client had “relapsed” after getting himself clean in the wake of the shooting.

Police at the scene of a shooting at Stafford Street in Ipswich. Picture: Peter Wallis

Caffrey was arraigned on 19 charges, all of which he entered pleas of guilty to.

They included 17 counts of supplying a Schedule 1 dangerous drug, one count of supplying a Schedule 2 dangerous drug, and one count of possessing a thing, understood to be a mobile phone, used in the commission of a crime.

Shooting victim David Nanai. Photo: Contributed

The offences all occurred in May and June last year at Ipswich and elsewhere, with Caffrey arrested and charged on June 13.

Caffrey was to be sentenced on Wednesday but a crucial psychologist’s report had yet to be completed, the court heard.

“It’s a significant, important report,” Mr Kissick told the court.

“He has relapsed into offending.”

Police at the scene of a shooting at Stafford Street in Ipswich. Pic Peter Wallis

Caffrey’s sentence was relisted for October 21 before Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC.

Nanai’s four co-offenders in the home invasion on Caffrey, one of whom acted as getaway driver, have all previously been sentenced for their role in the crime.